Customer Reviews

The Judge: An Untrue Tale (Sunburst Book)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Illustrated by Margot Zemach, this book was a 1970 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the medal winner) for best illustration in a book for children. In this book, witnesses keep pouring into a judge's courtroom saying that a monster is coming but the judge refuses to believe it. Children really get a kick when the monster finally arrives.

After reading a lot of children's books, a person comes to feel they've seen everything there is to see. That nothing can surprise them anymore. And especially, a person may feel that picture books older than thirty years of age are hardly worth crowing about. Then you read a story like, "The Judge".

In this erudite little piece of work, a judge presiding over what looks to be a nineteenth century town locks up his fellow citizenry one by one. As each citizen warns the judge that something terrible is coming, the judge pooh-poohs their cries of alarm and throws them swiftly in jail. With each panicked person, the description of the horrible creature becomes longer and longer:

Its eyes are scary
Its tail is hairy
Its paws have claws
It snaps its jaws
It growls, it groans
It chews up stones
It spreads its wings
And does bad things

If this story were written today the thing would turn out to be something harmless and the judge would let all the people out of the jail because, technically, they were right. HOWEVER... this story was not written today. It was written in 1969. And the ending of this picture book is such a shocking Maurice Sendak-ish piece of work that I don't think anyone could truly appreciate it without seeing it. As the book's blurb says so clearly, "justice is done..." Without a doubt, there will be parents who object to this book's finish as surely as the sun does shine. But there are also going to be parents with a sense of humor who love this book. May I suggest you align yourself with the latter category. It is a very interesting story.

Perhaps this book isn't suitable for young children, but I think it's wonderful. My mother read this book to my sister and me when we were young and we turned out just fine. Sure, our humors may be a little morbid, but not solely because of this book. And we had no nightmares or ever feared being eaten by an imaginary beast.

This is one of my favorite books of all time and I can still remember most of the words. In fact, to this day (some 14 years later) there are times we'll quote to each other, "Please let me go. Judge, I didn't know, Judge that what I did was against the law, I just said what I saw..." This is a book I have read to countless children, including my niece and I plan on reading it to my own children. The cadence and rhyme of this story catches kid's attention and the moral is clear.

Don't be a wuss, keep it light and your kids will love the book and won't be terrified by the ending. Besides, the Judge gets what he deserves, does he not? Kids love that and they'll find it humorous, if you let them. There is really nothing grisly about the ending. Bear in mind that it's fire you see, not blood.

Again, this is one of my favorite books of all time and a must have for any quality children's library.

This story was one of the ones I had my mother read to me over and over again when I was a girl. I loved it! So much so that it remained in my memory all these years (I'm 33 now) until I was compelled to buy a copy. Now that I've reread the book, I'm sincerely puzzled as to why I adored it so. I imagine that my younger self was responding to the poetic repetition; however, I'd like to think that I was a 4 year old rebel enjoying the antiestablishment theme. Who knows?

This is a story about a person who will not listen to people until he experiences the event for themselves. The judge doesn't listen to people and "judges" them harshly. In the end, he ends up with a harsh judgement himself. Oh well...

After all, a JUDGE should know.
Who are these dimwits to tell him so:
That "a HORRIBLE THING is coming this way,
Creeping closer day by day."

They're liars, scoundrels, nincompoops.
Never a JUDGE would ever stoop
To act upon such brainless chatter,
But thoroughly dismiss the matter.

But, as the judge prepares to leave
His body shakes from sleeve to sleeve;
For that Horrible Thing is at the door
To gobble HIM up...and look for more.

(This is not the story, which is a story, of course. In fact, it's a lie. But it's fun to believe.)

[The book does not seem to end properly, so my students concluded the book when storyreading to primary students with the last stanza above.]

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)

This is a classic, though untrue tale. Kids, adults of all ages, all cultures, absolutely love it. "Let justice be done" to the arrogant, uncaring, unlistening people in power is after all a universal theme, though often they never seem to brought to task in real life...maybe that is why this is an untrue tale? But let's not get all serious here...the book and illustrations are delightful. It has a good rhyming and repetitive pattern that is quickly and easily remembered and encourages kids to join right in and become a part of the story. I had done this as a play with a number of students years ago, but then lost the book, so I was thrilled to find it again. I highly recommend this book to kids, parents, teachers, anyone...

As an elementary school librarian for many years, this was one of my favorite books to read aloud. Later, when some of the students were in high school, they would ask me to read it aloud to them again.

My two daughters, son, six nieces, and five nephews loved to have me read and re-read this book to them.
(All but my son are grown.)

Of the young adults, all but one has told me that one of their fondest childhood memories is of me reading this story to them as they acted it out. (The one dissenter has said that she wasn't frightened, she just 'isn't interested in other people's memories'~a direct quote.)

As recently as last fall, four of them were together when they burst out with, "Its eyes were scary, its tail was hairy..."

I was surprized at the ending but it did not bother my kids, they thought it was funny. They understood the irony of the judge being the one eaten.